Public Health Commons^™

Evaluation Of A Microsphere-Based Immunoassay (Mia) In Measuring Diagnostic And Prognostic Markers Of Dengue Virus Infection, Jason H. Ambrose

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infections with dengue viruses (DENV) constitute both a global problem as well as locally in Florida. DENV comprise four distinct serotypes of single-stranded RNA viruses and belong to the family Flaviviridae. DENV are among the most medically important arboviruses in the world and cases may currently exceed 400 million per annum. Additionally, dengue established its first recorded endemic transmission cycle in the state of Florida in over a half century, first within the Florida Keys during 2009-10 followed by an unrelated outbreak in Martin County in 2013. The clinical profile of DENV infections ranges from a mild febrile illness …

Ambient Ozone And Cadmium As Risk Factors For Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Rema Ramakrishnan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) results from a defect in the diaphragm through which abdominal contents enter the thorax displacing the heart and the lungs. This causes lung hypoplasia and varying degrees of pulmonary hypertension resulting in high rates of morbidity and mortality. Though CDH has a prevalence rate of 2.61 per 10,000 live births it is an expensive birth defect with an estimated annual cost of nearly $250 million for all CDH survivors. Maternal exposure to air pollutants have not been studied as risk factors for CDH in humans. Ambient ozone has been found to be risk factors for certain …

Advancing Stroke Genomic Research In The Age Of Trans-Omics Big Data Science: Emerging Priorities And Opportunities, Mayowa Owolabi, Emmanuel Peprah, Huichun Xu, Rufus Akinyemi, Hemant K. Tiwari, Marguerite R. Irvin, Kolawole Wasiu Wahab, Donna K. Arnett, Bruce Ovbiagele

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background—We systematically reviewed the genetic variants associated with stroke in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and examined the emerging priorities and opportunities for rapidly advancing stroke research in the era of Trans-Omics science.

Methods—Using the PRISMA guideline, we searched PubMed and NHGRI- EBI GWAS catalog for stroke studies from 2007 till May 2017.

Results—We included 31 studies. The major challenge is that the few validated variants could not account for the full genetic risk of stroke and have not been translated for clinical use. None of the studies included continental Africans. Genomic study of stroke among Africans presents …

Evaluation Of Services Provided To Pregnant African Refugees By Catholic Social Services Refugee Resettlement Agency In Dayton Ohio, Jessica M. Brown

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

In 2016 Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County declared birth outcomes the number one priority in their Community Health Improvement Plan. To improve the infant mortality rate (IMR), racial disparities must be address and considerations should be given to Dayton’s newest and most vulnerable neighbors. Dayton receives between 200 and 250 refugees each year, 70% of whom are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. African refugees have higher infant mortally and poorer birth outcomes than native populations in the U.S. Early and regular prenatal care is protective against infant mortality, and African refugees consistently report delayed and infrequent …

Unconditional Cash Transfers For Reducing Poverty And Vulnerabilities: Effect On Use Of Health Services And Health Outcomes In Low-And Middle-Income Countries, Frank Pega, Sze Yan Liu, Stefan Walter, Roman Pabayo, Ruhi Saith, S L. Lhachimi

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background

Unconditional cash transfers (UCTs; provided without obligation) for reducing poverty and vulnerabilities (e.g. orphanhood, old age or HIV infection) are a type of social protection intervention that addresses a key social determinant of health (income) in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). The relative effectiveness of UCTs compared with conditional cash transfers (CCTs; provided so long as the recipient engages in prescribed behaviours such as using a health service or attending school) is unknown.

Objectives

To assess the effects of UCTs for improving health services use and health outcomes in vulnerable children and adults in LMICs. Secondary objectives are to …

Mode Of Delivery And Child And Adolescent Psychological Well-Being: Evidence From Hong Kong’S “Children Of 1997” Birth Cohort, Cherry Y. Leung, Gabriel M. Leung, C. Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Mode of delivery (vaginal or cesarean section) is thought to affect gut microbiota, which in turn may affect psychological well-being. As such, mode of delivery is potentially a modifiable factor for psychological well-being. Here we examined the association of mode of delivery with child and adolescent psychological well-being. We used multivariable linear regression in a populationrepresentative Hong Kong Chinese birth cohort, “Children of 1997,” to examine the adjusted associations of mode of delivery with behavioral problems assessed from parent-reported Rutter score at ~7 (n = 6294) and ~11 years (n = 5598), self-esteem assessed from self-reported Culture-Free Self- Esteem Inventory …

Test Of A Workforce Development Intervention To Expand Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Pharmacotherapy Prescribers: Protocol For A Cluster Randomized Trial, Todd Molfenter, Hannah K. Knudsen, Randy Brown, Nora Jacobson, Julie Horst, Mark Van Etten, Jee-Seon Kim, Eric Haram, Elizabeth Collier, Sanford Starr, Alexander Toy, Lynn Madden

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Overdoses due to non-medical use of prescription opioids and other opiates have become the leading cause of accidental deaths in the USA. Buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone are key evidence-based pharmacotherapies available to addiction treatment providers to address opioid use disorder (OUD) and prevent overdose deaths. Treatment organizations’ efforts to provide these pharmacotherapies have, however, been stymied by limited success in recruiting providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) to prescribe these medications. Historically, the addiction treatment field has not attracted physicians, and many barriers to implementing OUD pharmacotherapy exist, ranging from lack of confidence in treating OUD patients to …

Treatment Guidelines And Early Loss From Care For People Living With Hiv In Cape Town, South Africa: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Ingrid T. Katz, Richard Kaplan, Garrett Fitzmaurice, Dominick Leone, David R. Bangsberg, Linda-Gail Bekker, Catherine Orrell

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

South Africa has undergone multiple expansions in antiretroviral therapy (ART) eligibility from an initial CD4+ threshold of ≤200 cells/μl to providing ART for all people living with HIV (PLWH) as of September 2016. We evaluated the association of programmatic changes in ART eligibility with loss from care, both prior to ART initiation and within the first 16 weeks of starting treatment, during a period of programmatic expansion to ART treatment at CD4+ ≤ 350 cells/μl.

Evaluating And Improving The Effectiveness Of Vehicle Inspection And Maintenance Programs: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Framework, Ying Li

ETSU Faculty Works

Motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs are designed to identify high-emitting vehicles and mitigate their impacts on air quality and climate. I/M programs have been traditionally ranked superior among various vehicle emission control measures by the results of cost-benefit analysis, based on the assumption that these programs will achieve the targeted emission reduction outcomes. However, the actual effects of I/M programs may be greatly uncertain and when this uncertainty is taken into account, these programs may become suboptimal. This study develops a new a cost-benefit analysis framework that links various program design consideration, such as program participation rate, identification …

Menstrupedia: Fighting The Stigma Against Comprehensive Sex Education, Cindy Butor

LIS Student Conference

This poster demonstrates how comics can be used to inform teens about puberty by focusing on the Indian comic Menstrupedia. It has been adapted from a PowerPoint presented at the 2017 Graphic Medicine Conference in Seattle and includes information about graphic medicine, the health-based comics movement.

A Human-Centered Platform For Hiv Infection Reduction In New York: Development And Usage Analysis Of The Ending The Epidemic (Ete) Dashboard, Ashish Joshi, Chioma Amadi, Benjamin Katz, Sarah Kulkarni, Denis Nash

Publications and Research

Background: Dashboards have been increasingly used in clinic-based interventions, such as clinical performance improvement and monitoring risk of hospital readmissions, and are now gaining traction in population-based interventions, especially in disease assessment.

Objective: We describe the design, development, and usage analysis of a geovisualization dashboard, the Ending the Epidemic (ETE) Dashboard. The ETE dashboard is a tool developed to track New York’s progress towards achieving the goal of its ETE Initiative, to reduce new HIV infections from 3000 per year to 750 per year by the end of 2020.

Methods: The ETE dashboard was adapted from an existing human-centered geovisualization …

Proposed Method For Measuring The Let Of Radiotherapeutic Particle Beams, Stephen D. Bello

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

The Bragg peak geometry of the depth dose distributions for hadrons allows for precise and effective dose delivery to tumors while sparing neighboring healthy tissue. Further, compared against other forms of radiotherapeutic treatments, such as electron beam therapy (EBT) or photons (x and \(\gamma\)-rays), hadrons create denser ionization events along the particle track, which induces irreparable damage to DNA, and thus are more effective at inactivating cancerous cells. The measurement of radiation's ability to inactivate cellular reproduction is the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). A quality related to the RBE that is a measurable physical property is the linear energy transfer …

Successes And Limitations Of Hepatitis C Screening In The Inpatient Setting: Initial Impact Of Pa Act Of 87 (Apha Roundtable Discussion), Madalene Zale, Mph Candidate, Ashley Park, Mph, Francis Nelson, Ms, Priya Mammen, Md, Mph

College of Population Health Lectures, Presentations, Workshops

The Problem:

• Estimated 3.2 million in US with chronic HCV; Baby Boomers 5 times more likely to be infected compared to other cohorts
• Complex nature of HCV requires confirmation of HCV Ab screens to determine management and treatment needs.

Round table held at 2017 Annual APHA meeting in Atlanta, Georgia

Why Women Suffer Domestic Violence In Silence: Web-Based Responses To A Blog, Salima Farooq, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Yasmin Parpio, Nasreen Lalani, Muecke Marjorie

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background & Aim: Domestic violence (DV) is a global socio-cultural concern faced by a majority of women. DV has a negative impact on women’s social, physical, and psychological wellbeing. Objective was to explore perceptions regarding contributing factors to domestic violence among women.
Methods & Materials: A qualitative descriptive exploratory method was applied for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants through emails to respond to the web based blog created for the study. 41 worldwide participants shared their perceptions through the blogs in the study. The data were collected using a web-based discussion forum on the Urban Women …

From Climate Change To Vaccination Safety: Teaching Information Literacy In An Undergraduate Epidemiology Course, Amy Dailey, Meggan D. Smith

All Musselman Library Staff Works

“Fake news” and “alternative facts” are now ubiquitous terms. Teaching information and scientific literacy is essential if we expect students to become well-informed citizens prepared to navigate today’s digital landscape, political climate, and 24-hour cable news cycle. A professor and a research librarian designed assignments over the course of the semester to address the following information literacy outcomes in an undergraduate epidemiology class. Students should be able to: 1) Examine and compare information from various sources in order to evaluate accuracy, authority, currency, and point of view; 2) Recognize the cultural, physical, or other context within which information is created …

Reaching High-Risk Patient Populations Through Emergency Department Opt-Out Hiv Testing: A Retrospective Chart Review, Tyler G. Boyce, Ba, Priya Mammen, Md, Mph

CwiC Posters

Specific Aims and Hypotheses:

This study aimed to identify socioeconomic (SE), sexual, and other risk factors (RFs), among patients diagnosed with HIV infection through an emergency department-based opt-out HIV screening program, and to examine trends in intravenous drug use (IVDU) as a RF.

• H1: Unsafe sexual practices are the most commonly reported RF.
• H2: Role of IVDU as a RF has increased over the time period studied.

Poster presented at 2017 APHA conference in Atlanta Georgia.

Ventricular Depolarisation Vectors In Exercise Induced Myocardial Ischaemia, Cameruddin W. Vellani, Mohammad Yusuf, Sadia Mahmud, Satwat Hashmi

Section of Cardiology

Ischaemia reduces membrane excitability and conduction of myocardial depolarisation. This would alter the synergy of electromotive forces that contribute to a resultant force at any instant. Changes in magnitude and direction of resultant forces are reflected in electrocardiographic signals. Here we show a method for obtaining the coordinates of resultant electrical forces during exercise derived from a bipolar orthogonal lead system for calculation of electrical vectors in three planes. In a trial, analysis of changes in vectors indicated that the extent of reduction in magnitude with exercise was significantly greater in groups of patients categorized by impaired effort tolerance and …

Effects Of Global Warming On Work-Rest Routines For Crop Workers In Appalachia, Ken Silver, Ying Li, Emmanuel Odame, Yuqiang Zhang

ETSU Faculty Works

Background: Workers in outdoor occupations are expected to be at high risk of increased morbidity and mortality, and diminished productivity, as a result of global warming in the 21st century. A previous modelling study of geographic variations in heat-related mortality risk in projected U.S. populations mid-century showed the states of Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina to be highly vulnerable. Methods: Under both the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emissions scenarios of IPCC AR5, we evaluate the effect of future warming on estimated Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer (WBGT) temperatures using model-simulated future climate variables that were dynamically downscaled by a regional meteorology model …

Are Our Policymakers On Board? A Systematic Review Of U.S. Policymakers’ Views On The Social Determinants Of Health, Health Disparities, Health Equity, & Health In All Policies, M. Lelinneth B. Novilla, Michael C. Goates, Spencer Calder, Laura A. Galvao, Tabetha Ellis, Kraymer Eppich, Noyra Melissa Quintana, David Mateos, Russell Doria

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Policies shape our society and influence our health. Poor social policies and bad politics create a collective social milieu that result in health inequities. Closing the health gap in our communities will require tackling these root causes. But how are U.S. policymakers addressing the social conditions that negatively influence health?

OBJECTIVE: Identify the social determinants of health perceived as legislative priorities by U.S. policymakers and the factors that facilitate/hinder their intent to act on the social determinants of health.

METHODS: A systematic review of 1,832 newspaper, magazine, and journal articles published between January 2000 and July 2016 yielded 202 …

Patient Experience In The Behavioral Health Setting: Key Best Practices Throughout An Organizational Journey, Mark L. D'Agostino, Tena Vizner, Daniel Wald, Linda Espinosa, Rick Evans

Patient Experience Journal

NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division, a clinical affiliate of Weill Cornell Medicine, is a 260-bed hospital providing inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care for children, adolescents, adults and older adults. From 2004-2010 the hospital’s patient experience scores on the Press Ganey® Inpatient Psychiatry Survey improved from the 14th to 53rd percentile nationally. We primarily attribute this to joining the Planetree® Affilliate Network. Planetree is a mission based not-for-profit organization that partners with healthcare organizations around the world and across the care continuum to represent the patient voice and advance how professional caregivers engage with patients and families. In 2011, hourly rounding was redesigned …

“We Were Learning Together And It Felt Good That Way.” A Case Study Of A Participatory Group Music Program For Cancer Patients, Laurie Sadowski

Patient Experience Journal

Though there are similarities to music therapy, the field of community music in healthcare, while in its infancy, is steadily growing. This case study explored how semi-formal, active music-making can play a role in illness and recovery and provide patients with a sense of voice, connection, and community, and the efficacy of community music programming in a hospital. Six participants began and three participants completed a 6-week music class learning the ukulele. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used as a method for data analysis from semi-structured pre-questionnaires, transcribed classes, transcribed post-interviews, and weekly questionnaires from both the participants and the …

Using Appreciative Inquiry As A Framework To Enhance The Patient Experience, Kerry Moorer Mba, Schawan Kunupakaphun, Elilzabeth Delgado, Matthew Moody, Christina Wolf Msn, Rn, Cnl, Karen Moore Rn, Ms, Fache, Pracha Eamranond Md, Mph

Patient Experience Journal

The following case depicts the journey of a non-profit hospital in an under-served community and its attempts to turn around suffering patient experience. The Hospital turned to the theories of Appreciative Inquiry and the power of a strengths-based approach to create a framework to support the patient experience initiatives. Hospital leadership led the formation of a Patient Experience Team to implement ten initiatives in order increase the top box score in the domain of willingness to recommend the hospital, as that was selected as a global measure of success for the overall improvement project.

Patient Experiences In Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Review, Serpil Topçu, Şule Ecevit Alpar, Bilgi Gülseven, Ayda Kebapçı

Patient Experience Journal

The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the data gathered from studies conducted to determine patient experiences in intensive care and levels of the recollection of the intensive care period that were published between December, 1998 – April, 2013. The systematic review was carried out screening of the related publications. The findings of the systematic review were studied under the following two titles: “remembering the intensive care period” and “recalled experiences” of patients. Studying 15 papers which were found suitable to the inclusion criteria of the review indicated that majority of the patients had recollection of the intensive …

Patient Experience Of Taking Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy For Breast Cancer: A Tough Pill To Swallow, Kuang-Yi Wen, Rita Smith, Aruna Padmanabhan, Lori Goldstein

Patient Experience Journal

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) has substantially improved the mortality rate among breast cancer survivors. Despite the proven efficacy, the non-adherence rate to therapy is still high. This study is aimed to examine women’s challenges related to AET adherence and management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Caucasian and six African American breast cancer survivors who were prescribed for AET. The transcripts of audio-taped interviews were qualitatively analyzed. Key themes were: 1) positive beliefs in AET, 2) uncertainty about long-term adherence, 3) experiences with side effects, 4) forgetting and remembering, 5) other concerns and information needs, 6) potential intervention format, and …

Exploratory Pilot Testing Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Person Engagement Index Instrument Among Older, Community-Dwelling Adults, Ellen Swartwout, Taya Irizarry, Annette Devito Dabbs, Scott Barnett

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Person Engagement Index with community dwelling older adults and determine the factors that impact this population’s capacity to engage in healthcare. This non-experimental pilot evaluation of the psychometrics of the Person Engagement Index was performed in a convenience sample of 100 community-dwelling older adults. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using dimension reduction to determine the underlying structure of a person’s capacity to engage in healthcare. Results indicated good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha=.882 for the overall scale. Exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted resulting …

Operationalizing Person-Centered Care Practices In Long-Term Care: Recommendations From A “Resident For A Day” Experience, Jennifer L. Johs-Artisensi

Patient Experience Journal

As the senior population continues to age, long-term care is positioned for growth and care recipients are demanding more person-centered care. While long-term care leaders may understand and believe in the value of person-centered care, sometimes operationalizing practices to ensure its delivery can be challenging. Using an ethnographic approach, over three years, 159 long-term care administrator-in-training practicum students each lived as a resident for 24 hours in a nursing home. Following the experience, using the Picker Institute’s framework, each participant identified and justified an Always Experience® – an optimal experience they believed should routinely occur for every long-term care resident. …

The Impact Of Provider Service Networks In Florida Medicaid Managed Care On Enrollees’ Satisfaction, Sinyoung Park, Jeffrey S. Harman, Allyson G. Hall

Patient Experience Journal

Two counties in Florida were selected as pilots in 2006 for the Medicaid Demonstration Program. In reform counties, Medicaid enrollees were required to pick a managed care plan; either a Health Maintenance Organization or a Provider Service Network (PSN). PSNs are a form of managed care that provides health care services directly through a provider or network of organizations to a defined population without an intermediary. There are two types of PSNs: Physician-based PSNs and Healthcare system-based PSNs. The objective of this study is to find the differences in enrollees’ satisfaction between two different types of PSNs. To assess the …

Maintaining Public Health Insurance Benefits: How Primary Care Clinics Help Keep Low-Income Patients Insured, Rose L. Harding, Jennifer D. Hall, Jennifer Devoe, Heather Angier, Rachel Gold, Christine Nelson, Sonja Likumahuwa-Ackman, John Heintzman, Aleksandra Sumic, Deborah J. Cohen

Patient Experience Journal

Low-income families struggle to obtain and maintain public health insurance. We identified strategies used by Community Health Centers (CHCs) to assist patients with insurance applications, and assessed patients’ receptivity to these efforts. Observational cross-case comparative study with four CHCs in Oregon. We observed insurance assistance processes, and interviewed 26 clinic staff and 18 patients/family members. Qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Patients’ understanding of eligibility status, reapplication schedules, and how to apply, were major barriers to insurance enrollment. Clinic staff addressed these barriers by reminding patients when applications were due, assisting with applications as needed, and tracking …

Patient Safety: Just Ask. Patients As Reporters Of Real-Time Safety Data; A Pilot Project To Improve Patient Safety In Secondary Care, Thomas A. Cairns Dr, Iain Mccallum Mr

Patient Experience Journal

The Berwick review into patient safety recommended ‘involving patients in the healthcare organisation and seeking out the patient voice as an essential asset to monitor safety.’ (1) However routine data collection from patients in our institution is retrospective and doesn't focus on safety. Our objective was to create a patient-centred mechanism to monitor patient-perceived safety concerns and provide immediate resolution of highlighted issues. A pragmatic 6-question questionnaire was developed containing 4 scored and 2 free text questions. This questionnaire was piloted and adjusted before being administered to all inpatients meeting the inclusion criteria in our institution on one day. Safety …

Patient And Provider Experiences With Relationship, Information, And Management Continuity, Jeanette Jackson, Gail Mackean, Tim Cooke, Markus Lahtinen

Patient Experience Journal

From 2003 to 2014, the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) monitored patient experiences with healthcare services through a biennial Satisfaction and Experience with Healthcare Services (SEHCS) survey. The findings consistently showed a direct link between coordination of care, an aspect of continuity of care, and healthcare outcomes. Specifically, it showed that better coordination is linked to positive outcomes; the reverse is also true. Given the critical role continuity of care plays in the healthcare system, the HQCA conducted in-depth interviews, interactive feedback sessions and focus groups with patients and providers to explore factors that influence both seamless and fragmented …